WELCOME TO CHATEAU DU MER BEACH RESORT

If this is your first time in my site, welcome! Chateau Du Mer is a beach resort with a beach house and conference Hall. The beach house could now accommodate 10 guests, six in the main floor and four in the first floor( air conditioned room). In addition, you can now reserve your vacation dates ahead and pay the rental fees via PayPal. I hope to see you soon in Marinduque- Home of the Morions and Heart of the Philippines. The photo above was taken during our first Garden Wedding ceremony at The Chateau Du Mer Gardens. You can now read the national and international news in this blog at the right side bar. I have also posted my favorite Filipino and American dishes and recipes in this site. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own, but I have no intention on the infringement of your copyrights!

Marinduque Mainland from Tres Reyes Islands

View of Marinduque Mainland from Tres Reyes Islands-Click on photo to link to Marinduque Awaits You

Monday, July 13, 2015

Chapter 2: Ancestral Roots of the Nieva Clan of Marinduque

The first chapter on the ancestry of the Nieva clan of Marinduque by Rene Nieva was posted in my blogs about five months ago(2/6/15). Today I am posting the second chapter of this very interesting and informative article as follows:

ALBAY: ACKNOWLEDGED ROOTS OF THE NIEVAS: It would have been a source of pride to say that the Nievas of Marinduque descended from the first known Nieva in Philippine history, Fr. Domingo de Nieva. A case can be made for such a connection because a good number of Nievas in the last two centuries possessed the same sterling qualities of Fr. de Nieva such as his religiosity (several have entered the priesthood and nunnery), leadership skills (many have held high positions in both government and the private sector) and facility for speaking and writing (many were good writers and journalists). But no evidence has been found thus far that such a direct or even indirect connection exists. So until such time comes, this would just be a case of wishful thinking.

For the time being, based on oral history passed on to us from generation to generation preceeding ours, the roots of the Nievas can be traced back to the Bicol region, more specifically the town of Camalig in the province of Albay. In fact, there are archaeological findings that our Bicolano ancestors may have even preceeded Fr. De Nieva, who arrived in the Philippines in 1587, and the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in Camalig in 1569 by many centuries, even millennia.

When a Spanish expedition group aboard a ship led by Captain Luis de Guzman arrived in the Camalig area on that year looking for food provisions for the soldiers of Miguel de Legazpi stationed in Panay, they came upon what was already then an established and prosperous native agricultural settlement. Seeing how the inhabitants kept their farm produce in little huts without roofs that they called "camarin", the Spaniards named the settlement "Camalig" (Hispanized version of "camarin"). Captain de Guzman and his men stayed in Camalig for several days collecting their food supplies and went back to their ship. But they left behind Spanish friars accompanying them to start the colonization process by converting the inhabitants to Catholicism. Indeed, Spain conquered the Philippines through the sword and the cross.

The fact that Camalig was already a thriving native settlement would indicate that our Nieva ancestors may have belonged to a local tribe that even preceeded recorded history. This was further confirmed by Fr. Cantius Kobak, a Franciscan priest and archaeologist, who classified a cave in the area which natives called Hoyop-Hoyopan (or "blowing of the wind" through the different openings of the cave) as having been as old as 3000 to 4000 B.C. There were also jars found inside dating from 200 B.C. to 900 A.D. Incidentally, the area where the cave is located belongs to the Nieva family in Camalig which also manages what has become a popular tourist attraction in the Bicol region.

Personal Note: In the late 1970's, my wife, Macrine Nieva Jambalos ( first cousin of Rene) during her one month tour of the Philippines went to Camalig, Albay and visited the Nieva property and the cave, Hoyop-Hoyopan. She was able to talk to the owner and manager of the cave who is a Nieva. The owner was delighted to finally met a relative from Marinduque. Again, thank you Rene for the above article. Looking forward to Chapter 3 of this informative and interesting series.

Feedjit

Travel Site Catalog

ABOUT ME

I am a retired (Chemistry Team Leader from USFDA) Filipino-American who loves writing, gardening and photography. My wife (of 58 years) and I enjoy our snowbird lifestyle between the US and the Philippines. We have a small but very private beach resort (above video) in the beautiful island of Marinduque, Philippines. I have several blog sites(ten), a personal blog, blogs about Marinduque and our beach resort and conference center-CHATEAU DU MER. I also write for www.squidoo.com now owned by Hubpages.com

Sunset from CDM Beach Resort

Click on Photo to link to Marinduque Blog

Recent Photos of Orchids in the Gardens of Chateau Du Mer

A dark Yellow Vanda
A dark pink Vanda
A Small light yellow Phaelonopsis
A reddish Vanda
A pinkish-white Vanda
Another favorite Vanda
My twin blue Princess Mikasa
One of My Favorite Vanda
The above photos are some of the orchids blooming in the gardens of Chateau Du Mer from January to April, 2011. I hope you like them as much as I do! I have a dozen more plants that are blooming, but it will just be too boring to publish them all in this blog. Your comments will be appreciated.

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

Beach House, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Blue Orchid - Chateau Du Mer

Princess Mikasa-My Favorite Variety

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort Logo

Chateau Du Mer Logo-Click Photo to link to Life in US

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

Beach House and Bridge

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center

Conference Center and Multi-Purpose Hall

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

Beach House Balcony at Night

BlogCatalog

Coral Reefs of Amoingon Coast

Click Photo for Link/Details

Disclaimer: Most of the photos and videos included in this blog are not owned by me unless stated. If you are the owner of the photo/video and you would like to be credited, please let me know and I will pay proper attribution after careful verification of your identity and of your 'claimed' image/s. The photos/videos used in this blog are results of myGoogle and other Internet searches. Thank you and if you enjoy this blog, help support it by clicking on the ads.

Orchid in Front of Main House-Chateau Du Mer-click on photo to link to Marinduque Awaits You